Good Morning, Quilters!
A few months ago, I splurged on a BERNINA Q20 sewing machine!!!
For years I have debated whether or not I wanted a long arm sewing machine. On one hand, I do a lot of quilting and it is really challenging to wrestle a quilt in the harp space of a domestic sewing machine. On the other hand, long arm machines take up a lot of space and are an investment. Furthermore, I like to quilt at the end of the day when my feet are tired. I want to sit, relax and quilt-and I think most long arm quilters stand while they quilt. (Okay…don’t even say it…I know I have a lazy streak!)
Then I had an opportunity to try BERNINA’s Q20 sit down long arm quilt machine–and it was LOVE at first stitch!
FOUR MAIN REASONS I CHOSE THE BERNINA Q20
Sit-Down. Large Throat Space. Reasonable Price. Compact Size.
The BERNINA Q20 is a sit-down long arm sewing machine with a 20 inch throat space.
The Q20 is a fraction of the price of a long arm machine on rails. (Especially when you consider the beautiful Koala table is included.)
The table is a generous 36 x 45 inches and it easily expands to 36 x 77 for larger quilts–Yet way smaller than the frame of a long arm machine.
MORE TO LOVE
As you know, I am a BERNINA girl. I have been sewing on BERNINAs for more than 30 years. I have confidence in the brand and in their workmanship. BERNINAs create gorgeous stitches and this machine is no exception. Adjusting the tension is a breeze.
Because the Q20 only does one thing…(no embroidery, etc.) is does it very well. The screen and button layout is intuitive and easy. It has a built in stitch regulator…(I have never used a BSR–so I don’t know if I will use the built-in version) and the bobbin is HUGE!!!
I love that I can use the BERNINA feet from my B770!
And, if I ever change my mind: The Q20 can be set up for use on a frame!
THE DOWNSIDE to the BERNINA Q20 Sit Down
This machine is not on a frame. I still have to baste my quilts like before and move the quilt under the needle. (Though I can still change my mind and put this machine on a frame.)
I miss the automatic bobbin thread cutter feature available on my B770QE. I’m sure there was a mechanical reason the engineers left this out–but I do miss it!
HONEYMOON
I’m definitely in the honeymoon phase…getting to know the ins and outs of the BERNINA Q20. I have to learn how to use the programmable foot pedal and the various BSR modes, but I am delighted so far!
What about YOU?
Do YOU have a new love in YOUR sewing room?
Have YOU ever considered a long arm sewing machine?
Did YOU decide to BUY or WAIT?
We’d LOVE to hear!
I’m off on my honeymoon,
#FreezingColdMinnesotaWhoCares?
Lori
PS…If you like these motifs and tips, be sure to check out my book, Free Motion Machine Quilting 1-2-3 or any of my Craftsy Videos!
PPS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
82 comments
Judy Purcell
I recently purchased the tin lizzie sit down longarm. I got a great deal at a quilt show last summer. I am still getting to know her, but I love the 18 inch throat! She is only for quilting and comes with a 4 foot table that has an extension to make it much larger like yours. She’s very simple, has the extra large bobbins, and can also be converted to a longarm frame if I never want that! I’d rather sit down too!
Christine B
Ooooh you lucky girl! I would love to own one of these!! Maybe my husband could start saving now for next Christmas….. 🙂
Lorraine Doyno Evans
Christine – If there is a dealer near you they often sell their floor models yearly or every six months to get the newer upgraded models and sell the floor models at a discount.
Christa
Congrats! It’s a fabulous machine!
Michele R
Congratulations on taking the plunge. I’m currently deciding between a few options: 1 – Rent time on a Bernina longarm to finish quilts; 2- Buy the Bernina 880 w embroidery module and use ‘silhouette’ software to quilt each block with the option of free motion; and 3 – Buy the Q20. So I’m very interested in your opinion and what you think of your decision. Please keep us updated with both pros and cons.
Gertrude
I am sure you are going to love it!! Good for you. Those machines look fascinating to me and if I quilted as much as you I’d buy one too. Enjoy it!!!
LaNan
Congratulations! I’ve pondered this for several years and I’m still sitting on the ‘fence’. I did add berninas 700 embroidery machine and I so very much enjoy using this! Like you said with the Bernina quilting machine the 700 has one purpose..embroidering and it does it very well!
D. Joy Summers
I have a HQ sweet sixteen sit down. I don’t have a stitch regulator though. Do you activate yours with a button or how does it work? I too purchased mine because of the struggle of doing big quilts on my 1977 Kenmore domestic. Especially, the Queen size t-shirt quilts that are so heavy. I am glad I took the plunge and a for being lazy, not so, just staying with your style of working. Too each their own.
Becky Shaffer
Congratulations! You should have lots of fun with that!
Marcia
I too have a sit-down machine and love it for all the reasons you mentioned. I baste on the sit down. Okay, Lorrie, now we want some craftsy videos showing how you do your sit-down quilting!
Congratulations!
Babs
Congratulations! You’ll find the larger quilting space wonderful and ruler work so much easier, a lot more fun and relaxing! I use the sit down for more detailed work and long arm for everything else. Neither has a thread cutter so I purchased an adhesive thread cutter for both machines and mounted it to the left of the needle. It’s better than needing to keep a pair of scissors handy. I was told not to use any magnets around the machine head due to all the electronics so I didn’t want to use a magnet for my scissors. The cons of my sit down are lighting isn’t the greatest (actually it’s pretty bad) and quilts have to be basted which is the part I absolutely hate to do because I don’t have the space for it. I will at times baste larger quilts on the long arm and quilt them on the sit down. If there is a longer armer in town or if there is a quilt shop in town, they may be able to do this for a nominal fee. Rather than an suspension system, I just add an extra table to the right and left of the main table and it works well. Just be sure the tables are close to the same height. Lighting….still struggling with this one. I currently use a floor lamp with multiple adjustable heads until I find another alternative. Hope this helps!
Judy Purcell
Have you seen those led strips that you can adhere to the arm of you machine. It’s like runway lighting and not too pricey. Well worth the money!
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Wow! Thank you! Great tips!
Hilary
I loved playing on this machine when we had one in the Aurifil booth at Quilt Market. Can’t wait to see what you create with it!
Beverly g.
I learned to fmq on my domestic, then got the Q20 two months later. I love the stitch regulation because my leg would get tired using the foot pedal all the time, and this allows me to focus on the quilting without worry about stitch length—I can quilt faster. The BSR is noisy and clunky till you get used to it. The bSR1 idle speed was intimidating at first so I slowed the idle speed down all the way till I adapted, now the default idle is great and less noisy, too. Another tip, needles larger than 80/12 are quieter due to the way the Q was designed. Dream machine!
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Great tips! Thank you!
Judy Skousen
I hope you are not disappointed. I had always loved my old Bernina which I bought in 1975 – I quilted many a quilt on it. So when Bernina came out with the machine that could go on a long arm frame, I bought it. I had nothing but trouble with it. Bernina Company was totally unhelpful and refused to return my money even though they admitted the machine had many problems. It was really not meant to be used on a frame, although the dealer I bought from assured me it was and that the problem was me not the machine. Oh how I hated that machine. I finally found a new dealer who took the worthless Bernina back and gave me instead a Babylock Crescendo. what a wonderful machine but still not a long arm. I recently bought a handi quilter fusion and it is everything you would ever want in a long arm quilting machine. It sews rings around Bernina. After the shoddy way I was treated by the Bernina company, I swore never to buy anything from that company again. I know the machine you bought is a much newer and hopefully better model that the “long arm” Bernina I bought but I don’t think the company has changed its attitude. So good luck, I hope nothing goes wrong with your machine.
Chris B.
Hi Lori. Glad you’re enjoying your new toy. My friend and I tried out a few different machines. We bought a Pfaff Powerquilter about 18 months ago. It’s great. She had more room at her house so it lives there, but I have visiting rights whenever I want, including when they’re away on vacation. We make full-sized and baby quilts, mostly for charity, and have a lot of fun with it. Neither of us were too experienced with FMQ, but it’s coming along. We had the option to buy the stitch regulator at the time, but opted not to. Last year at Quilt Canada (national association’s conference) I spent two days in workshops with Kathleen Riggins and that was a great confidence-building exercise. I guess next we’ll be looking into a suspension system. Happy trails!
Anne
Congratulations on your new member in your sewing room. I have a HQ Sweet 16 and I do love it I must look into the hanging systems, because I do mostly queen size quilts and it is a challenge moving the whole quilt around. Enjoy.
Ruth Van Dyke
You are still using a different machine for piecing, correct?
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Yes!! The Q20 does not even have feed dogs! It only works as a quilting machine!
Lorraine Doyno Evans
I got a Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen three years ago and loving it. It is a sitdown like your Bernina.. I agree with all of your pros and cons. When I watch U-Tubes of the stand up long arms I get a little jealous because it seems a bit faster and easier for them to create designs and no stitch in the ditch, etc. However, I love the compact space and affordability.
Claire Watts
Hi Lori, I’ve enjoyed your blog for a while now and have been learning how to stitch out some of your motifs with your careful directions. I stitched many of your motifs on a fun house block quilt I made for myself.
I’m writing today to say that I researched all the sit-down long arms and tried quilting on several but was most impressed with the Bernina Q20 and made my purchase in 2016. I’m practicing ruler work and think there will always be a place for ruler work in my quilts. The kick start option is quite useful but not for everything I stitch out. I like the BSR 1 & 2 as it works beautifully. I’ve not basted with it yet but want to try that on my next quilt. I have a Bernina domestic and was happy being able to use some of the feet on the Q20. The stitch this machine makes is near perfect – when compared to the Feather weight.
Snowing here in Cohasset, MA., so a perfect day to quilt or stitch. In another email I’ll send a picture of the House Block. It was on my bucket list as I’m a Realtor.
Take good care,
Claire Watts
bbquiltmaker
Love my Q20, 2.5 years out. It makes me look good. Can’t wait to see what you do with it.
Bonnie
Huge Congratulations on your Q20!! I evolved from free motion on my domestic Bernina 440QE, than bought a Plantium 16, sit down, midarm and loved that and got totally addicted to quilting. Than bought my longarm which is a Plantium 3000 which makes me smile when I’m on that. Just stitches so darn smoothly and find that doodling on paper is a great start at learning a new design but when you quilt it on a longarm, well just amazing how much better it looks. My machine has robotics, but to be honest I still love doing free motion quilting better… It’s addicting… Such fun and yes I do it as a small business which helps pay for my addiction…
Brenda Perry
I’ve owned my “Q” for less than a year and like you, I wasn’t sure I would use the BSRs because I’ve been FMQ for years without stitch regulation. However I have grown to love them both!! It is interesting to see so many of your followers are Q20 owners!! I’m sure you will enjoy your Q!
lswanekamp
I have a Nolting NV on a frame. I have shoulder issues and tried a sit down long arm and could not wrestle the quilt. I have to admit that quilting on a frame is harder than FMQ on a domestic especially having to use rulers to do diagonals. I do no pantographs, but all freehand. Other wise, I sew on vintage Singers for their perfect straight stitch.
Debbi Russell
I’m so happy for you and the new purchase, and I was learning so much from you for quilting on my domestic machine and will miss your advice. Good luck on your new adventure and all the new friends you will meet because of it. I’ve heard that machine is awesome. Thanks for all your domestic machine advice in the past. You are a gem.
Mary G
I watched a class of a long arm demo, and realized it was the opposite of “ free motion”. Ie the fabric is stationary and the arm moves. So to hear of a sit down version, that doesn’t take up too much space… and uses all the skills that I learn from Lori… I might investigate!
Heartland Honey
You have my dream machine! I love my Bernina 830 with Quilt Motion. The learning curve on both has been intimidating but worth the frustration. I wasn’t aware a sit down could be put on a rack, but it makes sense. I’m saving up for a Q20 or Q24, but that’s still a few years away, unless Bernina makes one available to your readers…
Enjoy your “honeymoon” stage and keep up the tutorials. They are FANTASTIC!
Piecequilts
Good choice ‼️‼️ I love my Q20. I thought I would not use the BSR, however I do use it. Depends on what I am doing. I too love the large bobbin, interchangeable feet with my B780, uses regular sewing machine needles, and it is just a really smooth machine. Happy Quilting ‼️‼️
Linda
Woo hoo! Congratulations on your new baby! I have been following you for quite a few years, and was an avid Bernina domestic machine quilter following many of your tutorials. Two years ago my husband bought me a Q24. I found the change from sit down quilting moving the material under the needle to stand up quilting and moving the machine a challenge at first (and there are still many things I can do much better on my domestic machine); but I’m finding that the convenience of the long arm for quilting larger quilts is so worth the investment. It’s definitely easier on the body when quilting those really large quilts. My first love was quilting on my domestic Bernina, and I will continue to do so for those fun smaller projects; and there are times when I baste and stabilize a quilt on the Q24 and then quilt it on the sit down. Yay! The best of both worlds. Enjoy your new toy…the possibilities are endless.
anudge
Mine is a Juki TL2010Q and I’m still in love with it after 3 years. Congrats on your new Q-20.
Ann
Its about time!!! Ive always thought good for you for doing all that quilting on a domestic machine and wondered why you didn’t have a big machine. I bought a sweet 16 6 years ago. It was money well spent. Can’t wait t see what ou do n a big girl machine
Amy Roth
I started longarming by renting time on a machine. Found out how much I could really love quilting! I’ll do small pieces on my domestic, but I have really small throat space so even medium sized quilts are a struggle. And quilting should be FUN! I bought my 24″ Innova and 10′ frame, it’ll be 3 years ago in March, and I LOVE IT! (I hope to rearrange my basement and upgrade to a 12′ frame some day.) It was intimidating spending the money, but I’m so glad I did!
Paula Reid
I bought my Q-20 in July and it is definitely a game changer!
jamala
Congratulations. Beautiful machine.
Karen
Yeah! I have a Q20 as well and I LOVE it! I also did not think I would use the BSR and now use it all the time, so be sure to give it a try ????
Connie
As a surprise I received a Juki sitdown longarm for Christmas. I still have to pinch myself to believe it is mine. So far so good, but there is a learning curve. I too have been sewing on Berninas for years (801, 710) but was intrigued by the Juki. It definitely does not have the perks of the Bernina, but I think it will be a work horse…and my husband found a gently used one for 1/2 the price of a new one! Here’s to completely lots of quilts in 2018!!
Lori Hope
What a nice surprise for you! I got a Juki TL 2000Qi (not a longarm) for Christmas a few years ago as a surprise, and I LOVE it!!
Patti Godwin
Awesome. Enjoy ????
Carol g
I LOVE my Q20! There is no way I could have completed the number of quilts I have on my conventional machine!
Andrea O'Brien
I saved for years and bought a free motion longarm last May. I looked and compared for years, too, and finally came up with a must have list, negotiable, and Don’t want. Ultimately, I went with the Gammill Vision 2.0, 22″ machine, and I absolutely love it. I originally was looking at sit down machines, but changed over a room to be a dedicated long arm space, so I made the decision to go with the one with rails. I am so glad I did, especially since I did not enjoy quilting with my domestic large throat machine, and basting the quilts before quilting them. I felt like I would have the same issues with the sit down, and went for the other model. I looked at Bernina. It is beautiful and runs so smoothly, but ultimately, didn’t have some of the features I wanted in the one with rails.
Once you get used to it, you will live your new freedoms found with your long arm!!
The Lisa Marie
I’m just in the investigation phase of purchasing a sit-down long arm machine. Would you be willing to share what your must have/negotiable/don’t want items were?
Thanks in advance.
Betty Jo Tatum
Hi Lori. Congratulations on joining us Q20 quilters. I have had my Q20 for about a year and a half and I am still in the honeymoon phase. I LOVE the BSR1 and 2…so smooth and reliable. I LOVE the kickstart function, that allows me to set up my machine like I want to quilt and then the kickstart runs it without my foot on the pedal and allowing me to only think about where I want the next stitch. I have written about using the Q20 a couple of times on my blog.. I use BSR1 for basic free motion, BSR2 for ruler work, and sometimes when I need to do really tiny stitching, I use manual mode, though less and less of that. Recently, I put the laser pointer on my machine (gave it to myself for Christmas). Some people say they have a hard time with that staying in place, but mine stays put and I love my laser pointer…it makes tracking back, stitching along the edge of an applique and SID so perfect. I store some of my quilting books in the storage space which dampens the sound a bit, although mine is not particularly noisy. Cheers!
Jackson Watkins
Hi Lori,
I am a HUGE fan of yours, and do a lot of your doodle lessons. I am a long time quilter, but have not been Free Motion Quilting for very long and consider myself a confident beginner at FMQ.
Although it is not a long arm machine, I just got a Janome 6500P for Christmas and am certainly still in my “honeymoon phase” as well. I absolutely plan to improve my FMQ skills with my new girlfriend being she has so much more space to the right of the needle than my retired Brother Innov’ 40 had, which served me very well for quite a few years. It was a great beginner machine.
Thank You for all that you do for us little people just trying to learn and get better with our adventures into FMQ and Doodling!
Sandra Solberg
Thanks for your comments on the Bernina. I have rented the long arm Bernina at my LQS and found it superior to the other brand of long arm that they rent, but I thought neither would be affordable for me. I also don’t want to give up a whole room for a long arm. You have inspired me to do some fact finding!
Pat Knight
I am a Bernina girl too but couldn’t wait for the Bernina sit down so I bought another brand. I do love quilting sitting down but know your Bernina is great. I just could not rationalize the cost of a long arm!
Christine
Five months ago I bought a floor model, clearance priced, of the Husqvarna-Viking Platinum. It has the same looks as your Q20. Sadly, I am so frightened of it, that my honeymoon phase may last a while. I haven’t been brave enough to do anything larger than a placemat! In truth, I have been attempting to get all of my PHDs to the finished “TOP” stage. From there, I hope to become more acquainted with my HV Platinum. I can’t be certain, but I’m thinking my favorite brand Bernina is priced out of my range.
Terry Sheldon
Check out the suspension systems at patsythompsondesigns.com…scroll down that page to Suspension Systems. Quilt suspension takes so much of the anxiety out of free motion quilting!
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Thank you!
Judy
I own the HV Platinum 16. Please don’t be afraid if it! There’s nothing at all to be afraid of. It is a perfect sit down quilter and with practice gives great results. Go back to the store where you purchased it. They should give you owners lessons that will help you. The lessons are free with your purchase and never expire.
Becky Lomasney
I love my Q20 on the frame. One reason I bought it was as I get older I can put it in a table instead of the frame. It’s so easy to use, thread, and change the needle. The BSR is fantastic. The frame is so sturdy but smooth.
Christine
I too have the Q20 as the sit down and love it. I’m a Bernina kind of gal and have the 820…pondered downsizing that when I got the Q20 but opted not to. The one Bernina I would never sell, trade, give away is my 930 I bought second hand in 1985…no bell or whistles but a beautiful machine.
Gena Cahill
I have the Bernina Q24 and I love it. Have fun with your Q20 Bernina makes the best longarm but I’m a Bernina girl too and I wouldn’t own anything else.
jeffrey gordon
Congratulations on your new Q20. I bought one in May and am enjoying her. I also bought the Patsy T. suspension system. I look forward to reading about your experience with the Q20.
Ann Lindquist
I have a Tiara sit down mid-arm and love the extra harp space that my Bernina 1260 didn’t have. My husband installed a suspension system based on Leah Day’s. He screwed utility style drawer handles into the studs in the ceiling about 12″ and 30″ from the back wall on either side of the machine. Those hold 4 flat bungee straps into which plastic ratchet clamps are held (He did drill a hole in one side of the clamp handle to hang). I can adjust the height of the clamp by wrapping the cord around and inside the clamp if I need to elevate it. Even though I have the extended table, it made a world of difference in how much quilt I had to move, as I only have to move as much of the quilt that is actually touching the table! I absolutely love my system.
Congratulations on your new baby. Exploring the ins and outs is a lot of fun. Enjoy!
Melanie McNeil
I’ve used a longarm on a frame for several years. I only quilt for myself, but I do tend to make larger quilts, so I appreciate the ease, and of not pre-basting. If my life changes significantly in the next few years, with less space available and/or a different style of project, it’s good to know there are smaller sit-down options that could work.
lindadeisquilts
Have had mine set up since July. It arrived in April but I was having work done on my house and couldn’t set it up for three months! It’s definitely a “died and gone to heaven” kind of thing. I’ve now quilted over a dozen quilts and have calculated I have saved almost 1/6 of my investment by not paying oomph armfees. If you haven’t already learn about rulerwork. It is a breeze on the Q20. Oh, and definitely use that BSR!
Nancy Dixon
I purchased a q20 last spring and have been delighted with it. It has upped my productivity and given me freedom to do things I was hesitant to do on my domestic (a Bernina 710). You won’t be disappointed!
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